smallcase Fees & Charges Explained 2025 – Transaction, SIP, Brokerage & Subscription Costs

This article talks about the different types of fees and charges you might encounter when investing in smallcases. It explains the straightforward cost structure: transaction fees on lump-sum or SIP orders plus subscription fees for premium portfolios, helping investors make informed decisions with transparency.

Investors often ask one practical question before clicking Invest Now on a smallcase: how much will this cost me? Whether you use smallcase on Zerodha Kite, Dhan, or another partner broker, the platform keeps its pricing straightforward. You face only two direct costs: Transaction Fees and Subscription Fees. Let’s unpack them both in this guide about smallcase fees and charges.

Types of smallcase Fees

Free smallcases

• Transaction Fee: The standard platform transaction fee applies when you place a lump‑sum or SIP order.
• No Subscription Fee

Fee‑based smallcases

• smallcase Subscription Fee: a manager‑set amount billed monthly, quarterly, or annually for premium research and updates.
• smallcase Transaction Fee: the same capped platform charge per lump‑sum or SIP order as with free smallcases.

smallcase Fees and Charges – Summary

Here’s a summary of all fee-based smallcases.

Cost Type	Who Charges / Collects It	When You Pay	Standard Fee*	Cap
Subscription fee	SEBI‑registered smallcase manager	Only for fee‑based smallcases, at the start of each billing cycle	Manager‑set (monthly/ quarterly/ annual)	–
Buy / Invest More lump‑sum	Broker	Each one‑time order	₹100 + GST	1.5 % of the order value
SIP order	Broker	Every scheduled SIP run	₹10 + GST	1.5 % of SIP amount
Rebalance or Exit	No platform fees, only statutory broker costs apply	When you apply a rebalance or sell	₹0	–

*Your broker still adds its usual brokerage (if any), STT, GST, and depository charges on every trade.

smallcase Subscription Fees

smallcase subscription charges apply only when you choose a fee-based smallcase. Each premium portfolio is run by a SEBI-registered manager who sets:

• The price – usually quoted per month, quarter, or year.
• The billing cycle – you pre-pay for the chosen term and can renew or cancel before the next cycle.

Free smallcases have no subscription fee. For a deeper look at how plan prices and renewals work, see our primer on smallcase subscriptions.

smallcase Transaction Fees

smallcase transaction fees cover the cost of processing each order on the platform. You pay this fee when you buy a new smallcase, add a lump sum (Invest More), or run a SIP in an existing portfolio. The fee does not apply when you rebalance or exit.

The amount is debited from your trading or Demat account and appears on your broker ledger. Transaction fees are separate from subscription fees and apply to both free and premium smallcases. The exact charge depends on your connected broker.

Statutory costs such as GST, STT, brokerage, and depository charges are added by the broker as usual.

Let’s dive deeper into how different types of smallcase transaction fees work:

1. smallcase Fees for Buy Orders

When you invest in a new smallcase for the first time, a Buy order is placed. 

For most brokers, a transaction fee of Rs 100 (capped at 1.5% of the investment amount) + GST for all Buy transactions.

Let’s understand this with an example:

Case 1:

• You invest Rs 50,000 in a new smallcase (i.e. you place a Buy order of Rs 50,000)
• 1.5% capped fee: Rs. 750 (1.5% of 50,000)
• The maximum applicable smallcase transaction fee is Rs 100
• Since your 1.5% capped fee (Rs 750) is greater than the maximum applicable transaction fee (Rs 100), the final applicable smallcase transaction fee for this Buy order is Rs 100

Case 2:

• You invest Rs 1,000 in a new smallcase (i.e. you’ve placed a Buy order of Rs 1,000)
• 1.5% capped fee: Rs. 15 (1.5% of 1,000)
• The maximum applicable smallcase transaction fee is Rs 100
• Since your 1.5% capped fee (Rs 15) is lower than the maximum applicable transaction fee (Rs 100), the final applicable smallcase transaction fee for this Buy order is Rs 15.

Here’s a table for quick reference:

Case	Invested Amount (Buy Order)	1.5% Fee	Max BUY Order Transaction Fee	Is “1.5% Fee” > Max Fee?	Final Applicable Transaction Fee (Buy Order)
Case 1	50,000	750	100	Yes	100
Case 2	1,000	15	100	No	15

Note: GST is applicable on the final transaction fee.

2. smallcase fees for Repeat Purchases

When you invest an additional lump sum amount in a currently invested smallcase, an Invest More order is placed.

For most brokers, a transaction fee of Rs 100 (capped at 1.5% of the investment amount) + GST for all Invest More transactions.

Let’s understand this with an example:

Case 1:

• You invest a lump sum amount of Rs 20,000 in an existing (i.e. currently invested) smallcase (i.e. you place an Invest More order of Rs 20,000)
• 1.5% capped fee: Rs. 300 (1.5% of 20,000)
• The maximum applicable smallcase transaction fee is Rs 100
• Since your 1.5% capped fee (Rs 300) is greater than the maximum applicable transaction fee (Rs 100), the final applicable smallcase transaction fee for this Invest More order is Rs 100

Case 2:

• You make a lump sum investment of Rs 3,000 in an existing smallcase (i.e. you’ve placed an Invest More order for Rs 3,000)
• 1.5% capped fee: Rs. 45 (1.5% of 3,000)
• The maximum applicable smallcase transaction fee is Rs 100
• Since your 1.5% capped fee (Rs 45) is lower than the maximum applicable transaction fee (Rs 100), the final applicable smallcase transaction fee for this Invest More order is Rs 45

Case 3:

• You have an existing smallcase with an invested amount of ₹5000
• You modify that existing smallcase by adding more than one constituent worth ₹900 (without selling any existing constituent)
  • In other words, you’ve done an additional investment of ₹900 in an existing smallcase
• 1.5% capped fee: ₹13.5 (1.5% of ₹900)
• The maximum applicable smallcase transaction fee is ₹100
• Since your 1.5% capped fee (₹13.5) is lower than the maximum applicable transaction fee (₹100), the final applicable transaction fee for this smallcase modification is ₹13.5

Here’s a table for quick reference:

Case	Invested Amount (Invest More Order)	1.5% Fee	Max Invest More Order Transaction Fee	Is “1.5% Fee” > Max Fee?	Final Applicable Transaction Fee
Case 1	20,000	450	100	Yes	100
Case 2	3,000	45	100	No	45
Case 3	900	13.5	100	No	13.5

Note: GST is applicable on the final transaction fee.

3. smallcase Fees for SIP Transactions

A SIP transaction fee of Rs 10 + GST applies to all SIP transactions on smallcases. This fee is also capped at 1.5% of the SIP amount, and whichever amount is lower is selected.

Here’s an example to illustrate this better:

Case 1:

• You make a SIP investment of Rs 500 in an existing (i.e. currently invested) smallcase
• 1.5% capped fee: Rs. 7.5 (1.5% of 500)
• The maximum applicable smallcase transaction fee is Rs 10
• Since your 1.5% capped fee (Rs 7.5) is less than the maximum applicable transaction fee (Rs 10), the final applicable smallcase transaction fee for this SIP order is Rs 7.5

Case 2:

• You make an SIP investment of Rs 1,000 in an existing smallcase 
• 1.5% capped fee: Rs. 15 (1.5% of 1,000)
• The maximum applicable smallcase transaction fee is Rs 10
• Since your 1.5% capped fee (Rs 15) is greater than the maximum applicable transaction fee (Rs 10), the final applicable smallcase transaction fee for this SIP order is Rs 10

Here’s a table for quick reference:

Case	Invested Amount (SIP Order)	1.5% Fee	Max SIP Order Transaction Fee	Is “1.5% Fee” > Max Fee?	Final Applicable Transaction Fee (SIP Order)
Case 1	500	7.5	10	No	7.5
Case 2	1,000	15	10	Yes	10

Note: GST is applicable on the final transaction fee.

smallcase Transaction Charges for Various Brokers

The smallcase transaction fees levied upon you will depend on your connected broker.  While most partners follow the standard ₹100 + GST (lump-sum) and ₹10 + GST (SIP) schedule, a few brokers may quote a different platform fee or waive part of it during promotions.

Remember, these platform fees sit on top of your broker’s statutory costs, such as GST, STT, brokerage (if any), and depository charges, so the final debit on your ledger reflects both sets of charges.

smallcase rebalance charges

• The platform does not levy any smallcase rebalance charges.
• When you apply a manager’s update, you pay only the normal brokerage and taxes associated with the trade.

In Conclusion

smallcase keeps its pricing simple: one clear transaction fee on each order and, for select manager-offered portfolios, a manager-set subscription fee. Knowing these costs upfront allows you to focus on selecting the right smallcase theme and staying invested for the long term.

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Frequently Asked Questions on smallcase Charges